JP2010098900A - Power monitoring device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem wherein control, such as appropriate energy-saving operation, cannot be implemented only by power since it is difficult for conventional power monitoring devices to grasp an operation situation of equipment. <P>SOLUTION: A power monitoring device is installed between a power supply and the equipment connected to the power supply. The power monitoring device includes: a power measurement section 101 for measuring power used by the equipment; an equipment operation information acquisition section 102 for acquiring information on remote control of the equipment by users; an equipment control content determination section 103 for deciding the control content of the equipment from power information measured by the power measurement section 101 and the operation information acquired by the equipment operation information acquisition section 102; and an equipment operation information transmission section 104 for transmitting the operation information of the equipment based on the control content decided by the equipment control content decision section 103. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a power monitoring apparatus that monitors power consumption of household devices.

  Conventionally, this type of power monitoring device is disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 5 so as not to exceed the usable power limit of an ampere breaker or an earth leakage breaker of a distribution board which is a main power supply source in the home. Is installed between the power supply and the equipment connected to it, and when the power supply of the equipment is monitored and the usable limit of the ampere breaker or earth leakage breaker is exceeded, power is supplied by a relay provided in the power monitoring device. Control such as severing.

  For example, referring to the configuration of the conventional power monitoring apparatus in FIG. 16, the power monitoring apparatus 1600 includes the power value of the power measurement unit 1601 that measures power and, for example, the power distribution from the communication unit 1602 that communicates with other devices. Based on the power information of the main line of the panel, the device control unit 1603 that determines the control of the connected device controls the presence or absence of power supply by the power cutting unit 1604 that controls the supply of power by a relay or the like. It was.

However, since the power monitoring device is installed between devices of any manufacturer because of its configuration, it is difficult to communicate directly with the connected devices, and power usage is stopped without grasping the operating state. For this reason, for example, regardless of whether or not the device user is using the device, the comfort may be greatly impaired, for example, when the air conditioner stops in the heat. In addition, since it does not grasp what operating state it is, it has been difficult to use it for control purposes such as energy-saving operation.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-16625 JP 09-145743 A JP-A-10-248164 JP 2008-077941A JP 2008-099354 A

  The problem to be solved is that it has been difficult for the conventional power monitoring device to grasp the operation status of the device, and thus it has not been possible to perform control such as appropriate energy-saving operation only with power.

  The present invention relates to a power monitoring apparatus, which is installed between a power source and a device connected to the power source, and measures power measurement means for measuring power used by the device, and acquires information on a user's remote operation of the device. Device operation information acquisition means, device control content determination means for determining device control content from the power information measured by the power measurement means and operation information acquired by the device operation information acquisition means, and determination by the device control content determination means Device operation information transmitting means for transmitting operation information of the device to the device based on the control content.

  Since the power monitoring apparatus of the present invention can grasp the operation status of the device to be monitored and can automatically control the operation content of the device, it can automatically perform appropriate energy-saving energy operation. .

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power measuring unit that is installed between a power source and a device connected to the power source and measures power used by the device through the supply of power to the device. When remote control is performed, the signal received by the device is simultaneously picked up, and the device operation information acquisition unit that acquires the operation information of the device, the power information measured by the power measurement unit, and the device operation information acquisition unit Device control content determining means for determining the control content of the device, for example, changing the set temperature for energy saving control of the air conditioner device from the operated information, and the operation of the device based on the control content determined by the device control content determination means By providing a device operation information transmitting means for transmitting information to the device via wireless communication, for example, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the connected device It made.

  In particular, the second invention includes the environment information measuring means for measuring environmental information such as the ambient temperature and humidity of the device in the first invention, so that the environment information acquired by the environment information measuring means is taken into account. For example, in the case of an air conditioner, it is possible to control the energy-saving operation with higher accuracy by determining the control content by the device control content determination means, such as determining the appropriate set temperature by comparing the temperature and humidity with the set temperature. become able to.

  In particular, the third invention further includes human body detection means for detecting the presence / absence of a person around the device in addition to the first or second invention, so that the human body detection information acquired by the human body detection means is taken into account. For example, when the device is in operation, the device control content determination means can control the energy saving operation by determining the control content such as controlling the energy saving operation when the device control content determination unit is absent for a certain period of time. become able to.

  In the fourth invention, in particular, any one of the first to third inventions further includes communication means for communicating information with another apparatus, so that information obtained from the other apparatus is obtained by the communication means. For example, by using information such as the mains power of the distribution board, the power consumption can be reduced so as to prevent the ampere breaker or leakage breaker of the distribution board from being cut by the device control content determination means. Convenience can be enhanced by determining the control content such as power control.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in particular, in any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, a notification means for notifying a user of the control content determined by the device control content determination means and / or the operation status of the power monitoring apparatus body As a result, it is possible to tell the operating status of the power monitoring apparatus, so that the user can use the power monitoring apparatus with peace of mind.

  In the sixth aspect of the invention, in particular, the device operation information transmitting means of any one of the first to fifth aspects of the invention is configured to extend from the main body with a cable or the like, so that a signal of operation information to the device is transmitted. It will be possible to communicate to the device more reliably.

  In the seventh aspect of the invention, in particular, by making a computer program to function as all or part of any one of the first to sixth aspects of the invention, the power monitoring apparatus of the present invention can be used using a general-purpose computer. All or part of the above can be easily realized.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a power monitoring device that acquires operation information of the device in FIG. 1 and a diagram illustrating an example of a power monitoring device that acquires operation information of the device in FIG. A description will be given with reference to a flowchart of an example in which operation information of the device in FIG. 3 is acquired to control the device.

  A power monitoring apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is installed between at least a household power supply and a device connected thereto, and measures a power measurement unit 101 (power measurement means) that measures the power of the device, and the device as a user. When a remote control is performed by a remote controller or the like, the device operation information acquisition unit 102 (device operation information acquisition means) that acquires device operation information by simultaneously picking up signals received by the device, and the power measurement unit 101 A device control content determination unit 103 (device control content) that determines the control content of the device such as changing the set temperature for energy saving control of the air conditioner device, for example, from the measured power information and the operation information acquired by the device operation information acquisition unit 102 And the operation information of the device is transmitted to the device via wireless communication based on the control content determined by the device control content determination unit 103, for example. That is constituted by the device operation information transmitting unit 104 (apparatus operation information transmitting means).

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the outlet male 201 is connected to a household power outlet, and the power monitoring target device is connected to the outlet female 202 to supply power to the device via the power monitoring device. The power consumption of the equipment can be measured. Details of each component will be described below.

  The power measuring unit 101 (power measuring unit) measures the power of a connected device (hereinafter referred to as “target device”) that is a target of power monitoring. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a current clamp is attached to one side of a power line that supplies power, current is measured, and the voltage is measured together, thereby multiplying the current and voltage to measure the power usage value of the target device. can do. In addition, since the power supply in the home is normally 100V or 200V and the frequency is 50Hz or 60Hz, current and voltage are measured every sampling period such as 100 times in one period of 50Hz or 60Hz, and the current at the time of each measurement. And the product of voltage multiplication can be captured as power for one cycle. In the power measurement, when it is known in advance that the use voltage of the target device is 100 V, it is also possible to use a current obtained by simply multiplying the current by 100 V without measuring the voltage. About the measurement accuracy which requires electric power, it can design appropriately according to the specification of the object apparatus and the electric power accuracy which a user requires. In addition, the current measurement used for power measurement can be performed by measuring the voltage between the resistors in addition to the current clamp, and the power, current, and voltage can be measured by any method.

  The device operation information acquisition unit 102 (device operation information acquisition means) acquires information that the user remotely operated the target device. For example, a sensor such as a phototransistor, a photodiode, a Cds cell, or a CCD that receives light. By using a sensor that can receive a signal transmitted from an infrared remote controller, a user such as an air conditioner or a TV A signal when the target device is remotely operated by the remote controller can be acquired simultaneously with reception of the target device. In addition, when using the radio for the operation of the target device, it is possible to select a configuration such as a sensor to be used in accordance with the received signal of the target device such as a radio receiving antenna that receives a radio signal. As long as it is possible to receive the operation signal, any signal may be used.

  The device control content determination unit 103 (device control content determination means) includes, for example, a CPU and a memory. The power value acquired by the power measurement unit 101 and the device operation acquired by the device operation information acquisition unit 102 The control content of the device is calculated from the information. In addition, the contents of control of the target device by combining various information from environment information from the environment information measurement unit 401 described later, human body detection information from the human body detection unit 701, communication information from the communication unit 1001, and the like. Is calculated.

In addition, when the acquired information is required as a history, it can be determined based on the past history by storing it in the memory as history information. Other configurations such as a one-chip microcomputer with a single CPU and memory, and other computations such as an FPGA and a DSP may be used. Further, by configuring with a recording device such as an HDD, a DVD, or a flash memory, it is possible to perform complicated processing that uses a large amount of memory capacity. Further, by using the power calculation of the power measurement unit 101 and the signal analysis processing of the device operation information of the device operation information acquisition unit 102 in common, it can be configured at a lower cost.

  The device operation information transmitting unit 104 (device operation information transmitting means) transmits a signal that can be received by the target device as operation information. For example, when the target device can receive an infrared remote control signal, an infrared LED is used. It is possible to select an electronic component capable of transmitting infrared rays. In addition, any device that can be operated with a wireless signal can select an electronic component that transmits the wireless signal, and can output a signal that the target device can receive as operation information. Anything can be used.

  Next, an example of a power monitoring apparatus that acquires device operation information will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the outlet male 201 is connected to a wall outlet 202, which is an AC outlet in the home, and the outlet female 203 is connected to a device 210 (air conditioner) that is a power monitoring target. The shape of the outlet male 201 and the outlet female 203 is configured according to the shape of the air conditioner power supply 211 of the device 210 that is the target device. The current is measured by the power measurement unit 101 (current clamp), the power is calculated by an electronic circuit, and the remote control signal of the infrared remote control 212 that transmits the operation information of the target device is received by the air conditioner reception unit 213 of the device 210. In addition, the same signal is acquired by the device operation information acquisition unit 102 (photodiode). Based on the power measured by the power measurement unit 101 (current clamp) and the operation information acquired by the device operation information acquisition unit 102 (photodiode), the device control content determination unit 103 (electronic circuit) determines the control content. . By transmitting the determined control content as device operation information to the device 210 (air conditioner), which is the target device, by the device operation information transmitting unit 104 (infrared LED), control of the target device is performed. By doing so, the power consumption of the target device can be reduced.

  Next, an operation flow of the power monitoring apparatus 100 will be described with reference to a flowchart of an example in which operation information of the device in FIG. 3 is acquired to control the device. The operation starts from step S301. In step S <b> 301, the power measurement unit 101 performs power measurement processing for a device that is a power monitoring target. The measurement timing is generally better as the measurement interval is shorter, but is designed in accordance with the power consumption of the target device to be connected and the required accuracy of the power monitoring device.

  In step S302, the device operation information acquisition unit 102 performs device operation information acquisition processing. For example, in the case of an infrared remote control signal, since a specific pulse can be acquired based on a code determined by the home appliance manufacturing association or the like, device operation information can be acquired from the acquired specific pulse.

  Next, in step S303, it is determined whether or not device operation information has been acquired in step S302. If the device operation information has not been acquired, the operation is returned to step S301, and the power measurement is continued. If device operation information has been acquired, the operation proceeds to step S304.

  In step S304, the device control content determination unit 103 determines the device control content. For example, by accumulating the past power consumption in the device control content determination unit 103, the operation of the target device is performed when energy-saving operation is required such as a month in which more power is used than normal use. Control contents that can further reduce power consumption are determined from the situation.

  Specifically, in the case of an air conditioner, the power consumption can be reduced by lowering the set temperature during heating operation or by increasing the set temperature during cooling operation. Also, in a television, power consumption can be reduced by making adjustments such as lowering the luminance and volume of the television. In addition, if it is a washing machine, the control content of energy-saving operation which reduces power consumption, such as shortening washing time and drying time, is determined. Since the device operation information acquisition unit 102 can grasp the operation status of the device, an appropriate energy saving operation can be selected. In addition, energy consumption operation is not always performed by grasping the operation status, but power consumption is reduced according to a necessary situation, so that the amount of power used can be reduced without impairing comfort as much as possible.

  Next, in step S305, based on the operation content determined by the device control content determination unit 103 in step S304, if no device operation is required, such as when energy-saving operation is not performed, the operation returns to step S301. If device operation is required, the operation proceeds to step S306.

  In step S306, the device operation information transmission unit 104 transmits operation information based on the control content determined in step S304. For example, in the case of an air conditioner, power consumption is reduced by transmitting a set temperature, which is energy-saving operation, to the target device, and by performing energy-saving operation on the target device.

  By configuring in this way, it is possible to control the energy saving operation of the connected power monitoring target device. For example, even if the device does not have the energy saving operation function, the power supply monitoring device can be used. By providing, it is possible to easily reduce the power consumption.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the power monitoring apparatus that acquires the operation information and environment information of the device in FIG. 4 and the power monitoring apparatus that acquires the operation information and environment information of the device in FIG. A description will be given with reference to a diagram illustrating an example and a flowchart of an example in which operation information and environment information of the device in FIG. 6 are acquired to control the device.

  The power monitoring apparatus 400 shown in FIG. 4 is installed between at least a household power supply and a device connected thereto, and measures a power measurement unit 101 (power measurement means) that measures the power of the device, and the device as a user. When a remote controller or the like performs remote operation, a device operation information acquisition unit 102 (device operation information acquisition means) that acquires device operation information by simultaneously picking up signals received by the device, and a temperature around the target device Environment information measurement unit 401 (environment information measurement means) that measures environment information such as humidity and humidity, power information measured by the power measurement unit 101, operation information acquired by the device operation information acquisition unit 102, and measurement of the environment information Device control content determination unit that determines the control content of the device such as changing the set temperature for energy-saving control of the air conditioner device from the environment information measured by the unit 401 03 (apparatus control content determining means) and an apparatus operation information transmitting section 104 (apparatus operation information) for transmitting operation information of the apparatus to the apparatus via wireless communication based on the control content determined by the apparatus control content determining section 103, for example. Information transmission means).

  Further, similarly to FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, an outlet male 201 is connected to a power outlet in the home, and a device to be monitored for power is connected to an outlet female 202 to thereby provide a power monitoring apparatus. By supplying power to the device via the inside, the power used by the device can be measured. Details of each component will be described below.

  The power measurement unit 101, the device operation information acquisition unit 102, the device control content determination unit 103, and the device operation information transmission unit 104 of the power monitoring apparatus 200 are the same as those described in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment. Is the same.

  The environment information measurement unit 401 (environment information measurement means) measures environment information such as temperature and humidity around the target device, and can be measured by, for example, a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor. In addition, a sensor that can acquire environmental information, such as a microphone that measures environmental sound, a CO2 sensor that measures the concentration of CO2, another gas sensor, and an optical sensor that measures the brightness of an installed room, is used. In addition, various configurations such as increasing the accuracy of environmental information by combining a plurality of these sensors are possible.

  Next, an operation flow of the power monitoring apparatus 400 will be described with reference to a flowchart of an example in which operation information and environment information of the device in FIG. 6 are acquired to control the device. The operation starts from step S601. In step S601, power measurement processing is performed in the same manner as in step S301.

  In step S602, the environmental information measuring unit 401 measures environmental information. The environmental information is used by the device control content determination unit 103 to determine the device control content, and is configured according to the content to be determined.

  Next, in step S603, device operation information reception processing is performed as in step S302.

  Next, in step S604, as in step S303, if no device operation information has been received, the operation returns to step S601. If device operation information has been received, the operation proceeds to step S605.

  In step S605, the device control content determination unit 103 uses the power information measured by the power measurement unit 101, the operation information acquired by the device operation information acquisition unit 102, and the environment information measured by the environment information measurement unit 401. Determine the control details of the device.

  For example, in the case of an air conditioner such as an air conditioner, by measuring the temperature as environmental information, it becomes possible to determine whether the set temperature is appropriate by combining it with the operation information of the device. The control content can be set. Furthermore, by measuring the humidity as environmental information, it is possible to check the degree of comfort such as the temperature inside the room, so if the humidity is high, the control content will be more comfortable, such as switching to dehumidifying operation. It becomes possible to do. In addition, by measuring the concentration of gas such as CO2, when the concentration of the gas is high, it is possible to operate with control contents that match the environmental conditions, such as switching to ventilation operation.

  Also, for example, in the case of a television, by measuring the ambient brightness with a light intensity sensor etc., setting the brightness according to the brightness and measuring the surrounding sound status with a microphone etc. Can be set. In the case of a lighting device, it is possible to adjust the brightness to an appropriate brightness by measuring the ambient brightness with a light intensity sensor or the like as in a television. In addition, by providing a sensor that detects harmful gas, it is possible to add an action different from usual, such as notifying the user of danger, by causing the device to perform a blinking operation or the like.

Next, in step S606, the operation is returned to step S601 when the device operation is not necessary as in step S305, and the operation is shifted to step S607 when the device operation is required.

  In step S607, as in step S306, device operation information is transmitted to control the target device.

  By configuring in this way, by adding environmental information, the control content determined by the device control content determination unit 103 can satisfy the user's request such as content with higher comfort and high accuracy. It becomes possible to make possible control contents.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of the power monitoring device including the human body detection unit shown in FIG. 7, the diagram showing the example of the power monitoring device including the human body detection unit shown in FIG. This will be described with reference to a flowchart of an example of controlling a device including the human body detection unit.

  A power monitoring apparatus 700 shown in FIG. 7 is installed between at least a household power supply and a device connected thereto, and measures a power measurement unit 101 (power measurement means) that measures the power of the device, and the device is used by a user. When a remote controller or the like performs remote operation, a device operation information acquisition unit 102 (device operation information acquisition means) that acquires device operation information by simultaneously picking up signals received by the device, and persons around the target device Human body detection unit 701 (human body detection means) for detecting the presence or absence of power, power information measured by the power measurement unit 101, operation information acquired by the device operation information acquisition unit 102, and environment information measured by the human body detection unit 701 From, for example, a device control content determination unit 103 (device control content determination means for determining the control content of a device such as changing the set temperature for energy saving control of an air conditioner device) And a device operation information transmitting unit 104 (device operation information transmitting means) for transmitting the operation information of the device to the device via wireless communication based on the control content determined by the device control content determining unit 103, for example. Yes.

  Further, similarly to FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, an outlet male 201 is connected to a household power outlet, and a device to be monitored for power is connected to an outlet female 202 to thereby provide a power monitoring apparatus. By supplying power to the device via the inside, the power used by the device can be measured. Details of each component will be described below. Note that the power measurement unit 101, the device operation information acquisition unit 102, the device control content determination unit 103, and the device operation information transmission unit 104 of the power monitoring apparatus 700 are the same as those described in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment. Is the same.

  The human body detection unit 701 (human body detection means) is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of a human body. For example, an infrared human body detection sensor that detects infrared rays emitted from the human body using a pyroelectric element or a device that recognizes a human face by using image information such as a CCD camera. In addition, the presence or absence of a person, such as a device on the floor that preliminarily lays a sensor on the seat that detects changes in weight, or a device that reads radio waves that are attached to people or clothes in the house in advance. Any information can be used as long as information can be acquired. In addition, various configurations such as increasing the accuracy of environmental information by combining a plurality of these sensors are possible.

  Next, an operation flow of the power monitoring apparatus 700 will be described with reference to a flowchart of an example of controlling a device including the human body detection unit in FIG. The operation starts from step S901. In step S901, power measurement processing is performed in the same manner as in step S301.

  In step S902, device operation information reception processing is performed in the same manner as in step S302.

In step S903, if no device operation information is received, step S904 is executed.
Move operation to. If device operation information has been received, the operation proceeds to step S906.

  In step S904, the human body detection unit 701 updates the state of human body detection. Here, the update of the state of the human body detection is a determination rule for determining the presence / absence of the human body detection. For example, in consideration of noise from the sensor, when the human body detection sensor reacts for 10 seconds continuously, The state of presence / absence of human body detection is updated in accordance with the sensor characteristics, such as a human body detection state. In step S905, when there is no change in the human body detection state, the operation is returned to step S901, and when there is a change in the human body detection state, the operation is shifted to step S906.

  In step S906, the device control content determination unit 103 determines the power information measured by the power measurement unit 101, the operation information acquired by the device operation information acquisition unit 102, and the human body detection state measured by the human body detection unit 701. Determine the control details of the device.

  For example, in the case of an air conditioner such as an air conditioner, if there is no human body detection state for 30 minutes, the control content is changed to change the set temperature to lower power consumption, or if there is no human body detection state for 2 hours, it is stopped. Can be operated. Further, for example, in a television, it is possible to perform an energy saving operation such as darkening an image if there is no human body detection state or turning off the power if there is no human body detection for a long time. As another security for going out, when a human body detection state occurs, it is possible to determine the control content according to the purpose such as performing a warning operation.

  Next, in step S907, the operation is returned to step S901 when the device operation is not necessary as in step S305, and the operation is shifted to step S908 when the device operation is required. In step S908, as in step S306, device operation information is transmitted to control the target device.

  By configuring in this way, the content of control determined by the device control content determination unit 103 by adding human body detection information, content that contributes to energy saving, content that improves comfort, and high accuracy It becomes possible to make the control content that can meet the user's request such as a thing.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the power monitoring apparatus including the communication unit illustrated in FIG. 10, the diagram illustrating the example of the power monitoring apparatus including the communication unit illustrated in FIG. 11, and the communication illustrated in FIG. A description will be given using a flowchart of an example of controlling a device including a unit.

  A power monitoring apparatus 1000 shown in FIG. 10 is installed at least between a household power supply and a device connected thereto, and measures a power measurement unit 101 (power measurement means) that measures the power of the device, and the device as a user. When a remote controller or the like performs remote operation, a device operation information acquisition unit 102 (device operation information acquisition unit) that acquires operation information of the device by simultaneously picking up signals received by the device, and other devices and information From the communication unit 1001 (communication means) that performs communication, the power information measured by the power measurement unit 101, the operation information acquired by the device operation information acquisition unit 102, and the information from other devices by the communication unit 1001, for example, an air conditioner A device control content determination unit 103 (device control content determination means) for determining the control content of the device such as changing the set temperature for energy saving control of the device; Is constituted by a vessel control content determining section 103 operation information of the device based on the control content determined, for example, via wireless communication to send to the device the device operation information transmitting unit 104 (apparatus operation information transmitting means).

  Similarly to FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, a power outlet 201 is connected to a power outlet in the home, and a power monitoring target device is connected to a female outlet 202 to provide a power monitoring apparatus. By supplying power to the device via the inside, the power used by the device can be measured. Details of each component will be described below. The power measurement unit 101, the device operation information acquisition unit 102, the device control content determination unit 103, and the device operation information transmission unit 104 of the power monitoring apparatus 1000 are the same as those described in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment. Is the same.

  The communication unit 1001 (communication means) communicates information with other devices. For example, the communication unit 1001 communicates using a predetermined standard such as a specific low-power radio using radio waves, a wireless LAN, or Zigbee. In addition, any communication can be used as long as it can communicate with other devices such as non-contact optical communication using infrared light or a wired LAN. However, considering the ease of construction when installing this power monitoring device in the home, it is desirable to use wireless communication. In addition, as communication contents, for example, by communicating with a device that measures the main line power of the distribution board in the home as another device, the total power consumption in the home is grasped and the main line power is determined from the main line power information. When the value reaches the limit value, it is possible to prevent the breaker of the distribution board from falling by stopping the monitored device. In addition, it is possible to detect the entry and exit of people in the home by obtaining human body detection information from the human body detection device installed at the entrance etc., so the amount of power used when a person is absent from the home It becomes possible to contribute to energy saving by switching to the control content that reduces the amount of control. In addition, by obtaining future climate information such as weather forecast information via the Internet, it is possible to predict energy consumption in the future. By performing the control, it becomes possible to suppress power consumption while maintaining comfort as much as possible. In addition, since various information can be obtained, it becomes possible to add various control contents according to the information.

  Next, an operation flow of the power monitoring apparatus 1000 will be described with reference to a flowchart of an example of controlling a device including the communication unit in FIG. The operation starts from step S1201. In step S1201, power measurement processing is performed as in step S301.

  In step S1202, device operation information reception processing is performed in the same manner as in step S302.

  In step S1203, if no device operation information has been received, the operation proceeds to step S1204. If device operation information has been received, the operation proceeds to step S1206.

  In step S1204, the communication unit 1001 performs communication processing. Here, the communication processing refers to reception of information from another device to the power monitoring device. For example, when information on the total power used in the home is transmitted from another device, the information is received by the communication unit 1001 of the power monitoring device.

  In step S1205, if no information is received through communication, the operation returns to step S1201, and if information is received through communication, the operation proceeds to step S1206.

  In step S <b> 1206, the device control content determination unit 103 uses the power information measured by the power measurement unit 101, the operation information acquired by the device operation information acquisition unit 102, and other device information received by the previous communication unit 1201. The control content of the device is determined.

For example, when the total power consumption in the home, which is the trunk line power of the distribution board, is received as information on other equipment, the monitored equipment is stopped when the trunk power reaches the limit value from the trunk power information. It becomes possible to prevent the breaker of the distribution board from falling by determining the control content to be performed. In addition, by receiving human body detection information from the human body detection device installed at the entrance etc., it is possible to detect the entry and exit of people in the home, so the power used when there is no person in the home It becomes possible to determine the energy saving control as the control content by switching to the control content that reduces the amount. In addition, by receiving future climate information such as weather forecast information via the Internet, it is possible to predict energy consumption in the future. By performing the control, it becomes possible to determine the control content that suppresses the power consumption while maintaining the comfort as much as possible. In addition, since various information can be obtained, various control contents according to the information can be determined.

  Next, in step S1207, the operation is returned to step S1201 when the device operation is not necessary as in step S305, and the operation is shifted to step S1208 when the device operation is required.

  In step S1208, as in step S306, device operation information is transmitted to control the target device.

  By configuring in this way, the content of control determined by the device control content determination unit 103 is taken into account by the user's request such as content with higher comfort and high accuracy by taking into account information of other devices. It becomes possible to make the control contents that can be met.

(Embodiment 5)
A power monitoring apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the invention will be described with reference to a diagram illustrating a configuration of the power monitoring apparatus including the notification unit illustrated in FIG. 13 and a diagram illustrating an example of the power monitoring apparatus including the notification unit illustrated in FIG.

  A power monitoring apparatus 1300 shown in FIG. 13 is installed between at least a household power supply and a device connected thereto, and measures a power measurement unit 101 (power measurement means) that measures the power of the device, and the device as a user. When a remote control is performed by a remote controller or the like, the device operation information acquisition unit 102 (device operation information acquisition means) that acquires device operation information by simultaneously picking up signals received by the device, and the power measurement unit 101 A device control content determination unit 103 (device control content) that determines the control content of the device such as changing the set temperature for energy saving control of the air conditioner device, for example, from the measured power information and the operation information acquired by the device operation information acquisition unit 102 Determination means) and operation information of the device based on the control content determined by the device control content determination unit 103, for example, to the device via wireless communication The device operation information transmitting unit 104 (device operation information transmitting means) to be notified and the control content determined by the control content determination unit 103, the operation content of the target device, and the operation status such as whether the energy saving operation is being performed are notified to the user. It is comprised by the alerting | reporting part 1301 (notification means).

  Further, similarly to FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, a power male device 201 is connected to a power outlet in a home, and a power monitoring target device is connected to a female socket 202 to thereby provide a power monitoring device. By supplying power to the device via the inside, the power used by the device can be measured. Details of each component will be described below.

  The power measurement unit 101, the device operation information acquisition unit 102, the device control content determination unit 103, and the device operation information transmission unit 104 of the power monitoring apparatus 1300 are the contents described in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment. Is the same.

The notification unit 1301 (notification unit) notifies the operation status of the power monitoring apparatus. For example, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the LCD module displays characters, LED lighting / flashing status, and sound effects and voices from a speaker. In addition, any device that can notify the user such as an image display using a liquid crystal display or an organic EL may be used.

  With this configuration, the user can use this power monitoring device with peace of mind because the user can tell the user what control the power monitoring device is performing and in what situation. become able to.

(Embodiment 6)
With respect to the sixth invention, as shown in FIG. 15, the device operation information transmitting unit 104 is configured to extend from the main body with an extension cable 1501 or the like, so that a signal of operation information to the device is more reliably transmitted to the target device. Thus, it is possible to reduce malfunctions caused by transmission errors to the target device and erroneous transmission to other devices.

  In addition, regarding the seventh invention, by making a computer function as a function of all or part of the power monitoring apparatus, all or part of the power monitoring apparatus of the present invention can be easily used using a general-purpose computer. A power monitoring apparatus to be realized will be described.

  By making the computer function as a function of all or part of the power monitoring device, a general-purpose computer can be used easily, and it can be easily adapted to various power monitoring device platforms. It becomes possible. Further, for example, by making a part of the program usable by a general-purpose computer, the general-purpose computer communicates with the power monitoring apparatus of the present invention using a communication function such as a wireless LAN, and the control of the control unit 105 is performed. By performing on the general-purpose computer side, it is possible to reduce the capabilities of functions such as the CPU and memory of the power monitoring apparatus, so that this apparatus can be provided at a lower cost. Furthermore, it is also possible to easily realize that the user can operate the power monitoring control device from outside via a communication function with the outside such as the Internet connected to the general-purpose computer.

  Since the power monitoring device according to the present invention can grasp the operation state of the connected device together with the power monitoring, the air conditioner such as a general air conditioner, an air purifier and a fan that can be remotely operated, It is useful for home appliances that can be operated by a general remote controller such as a television, a video recording device, and a lighting fixture.

The figure which shows the structure of the power monitoring apparatus which acquires the operation information of an apparatus The figure which shows the example of the power monitoring apparatus which acquires the operation information of an apparatus Flow diagram of an example of acquiring device operation information and controlling the device The figure which shows the structure of the electric power monitoring apparatus which acquires the operation information and environmental information of an apparatus The figure which shows the example of the power monitoring apparatus which acquires the operation information and environmental information of an apparatus Flow chart of an example of acquiring device operation information and environment information and controlling the device The figure which shows the structure of the electric power monitoring apparatus provided with the human body detection part. The figure which shows the example of the electric power monitoring apparatus provided with the human body detection part Flow chart of an example of controlling a device equipped with a human body detection unit The figure which shows the structure of the power monitoring apparatus provided with the communication part. The figure which shows the example of the power monitoring apparatus provided with the communication part Flow diagram of an example of controlling a device with a communication unit The figure which shows the structure of the electric power monitoring apparatus provided with the alerting | reporting part. The figure which shows the example of the electric power monitoring apparatus provided with the alerting | reporting part. The figure which shows the example of the power monitoring apparatus which extends and transmits an apparatus operation information transmission part The figure which shows the structure of the conventional power monitoring apparatus

Explanation of symbols

100, 400, 700, 1000, 1300 Power monitoring device 101, 1601 Power measurement unit 102 Device operation information acquisition unit 103 Device control content determination unit 104 Device operation information transmission unit 201 Outlet male 202 Wall outlet 203 Outlet female 210 To be monitored Equipment (air conditioner)
211 Air Conditioner Power Supply 212 Infrared Remote Control for Air Conditioner Control 213 Air Conditioner Receiving Unit 401 Environmental Information Measuring Unit 701 Human Body Detection Unit (Human Body Detection Sensor)
1001 Communication unit 1301 Notification unit (LCD module)
1501 Extension cable 1600 Conventional power monitoring device 1602 Communication unit 1603 Device control unit 1604 Power disconnection unit

Claims (7)

A power measuring unit installed between a power source and a device connected to the power source, measuring power used by the device, a device operation information acquiring unit for acquiring information on a user remotely operating the device, and the power measuring unit The device control content determination means for determining the control content of the device from the measured power information and the operation information acquired by the device operation information acquisition means, and the operation information of the device based on the control content determined by the device control content determination means A power monitoring device comprising device operation information transmitting means for transmitting to a device. The power according to claim 1, further comprising environmental information measuring means for measuring environmental information around the equipment, wherein the control content is determined by the equipment control content determination means in consideration of the environmental information acquired by the environmental information measuring means. Monitoring device. The human body detection means for detecting the presence / absence of a person around the device is provided, and the control content is determined by the device control content determination means in consideration of the human body detection information acquired by the human body detection means. Or the electric power monitoring apparatus of 2. Claims that include communication means for communicating information with other communicable devices, and that control information is determined by the device control content determination means in consideration of information from other devices acquired by the communication means. The power monitoring apparatus according to any one of 1 to 3. The power monitoring apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising notification means for notifying a user of the control content determined by the device control content determination means and / or the operation status of the power monitoring apparatus main body. The power monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the device operation information transmitting unit transmits operation information to the device by extending from the power monitoring device main body with a cable or the like. The program for functioning a computer as all or some of the household appliance control apparatuses of any one of Claims 1-6.

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